On Monday, October 4th, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media websites were down. Even though I was aware that they were down, I still found myself staring at my phone, repeatedly opening and closing apps. After a few minutes of this cycle, I put my phone down, took a quiz for class, and took care of other productive tasks I had been putting off.
While I appreciated my sudden motivation, it simultaneously made me feel sorta…weak. Why does it have to be until I have absolutely no choice over the matter to make productive decisions? I am always capable of closing an app, but it feels like I have no willpower over the matter. I even deleted a few social media apps for a couple of weeks last semester when I was home, and I found myself feeling a lot happier and doing more fulfilling things. But I eventually redownloaded the apps and fell back into the trap of social media. This repeated cycle makes me question my choices so much more.
Why do I even have the apps anymore, especially with the countless research that explains how negative it can be? I guess the simplest explanation would be FOMO. I’m worried that I’ll miss what people at home are doing, whether or not I still talk to them anymore. I’m worried I’ll miss the next hit Netflix show, (Squid Game is currently saved in my list), or anything else that is trending. But why? Do I really care that a bunch of people my age went to Firefly Festival, something I have no interest in? Not really. But did I still scroll through Instagram and “like” all of their posts regarding the shows? Of course. At this point, it feels like I don’t have an option anymore.
Despite all of my disdain towards the apps, there are still good aspects of social media I enjoy consuming. I love following artists and sharing their works. I love the inspirational posts that occasionally pop up, the things my close friends and family post, and even what Gettysburg College shares about upcoming events of the week. So how can I find a balance of social media, somehow to limit the negativity and increase the positive posts?
To be entirely honest, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. I could outright delete all the apps I have, but I still want to enjoy the positive aspects of social media. I could unfollow the people I don’t really associate with anymore, I could limit my time spent on each app, I could even delete the ones I feel are the least positive (which would be Twitter for me, most likely). But in all honesty, I sometimes wish they were never created in the first place, so I wouldn’t have to make the decision myself.